Anakin, Don't You Remember?
by eskywalker
Summary: One-shot. This is an extended version of the scene in "Return of the Jedi," where Darth Vader's helmet is removed to reveal Anakin's face to his son. Listen to Adele's, "Don't you Remember," while Anakin Skywalker relishes in the past to his son; and as Luke finally discovers who Anakin Skywalker truly was, and what really brought him to be the man he sees before him.
Luke Skywalker stumbled towards the ramp of one of the open Imperial Shuttle's; his father's almost lifeless body slung over his shoulder. He pushed aside a stray piece of his ragged blonde hair, and laid his father's fully armored body to lay comfortably on the ramp. Luke stared at the man for a moment; it was so bittersweet, this moment. The young Jedi had always wanted to know his Father, and now that he did, he felt little to nothing. Darth Vader-Anakin Skywalker, actually, was more like a stranger to him than a Father. Vader had obviously sensed Luke's feelings, as the man drew in a deep breath from respirator, and spoke the words that his son had waited been waiting for for the past 23 years.

"Do you want to hear the truth about Anakin Skywalker? All of it?" Darth Vader questioned. Luke bent down onto the piece of floor beside the ramp. He brushed aside the pieces of sweaty hair that covered his eyes, so he could take in the destroyed man that was his Father.

"Yes." Luke said slowly, bobbing his head to the rhythm he spoke. "I-I would love to know."

"I wasn't always like this you know…" Darth Vader rasped. He stopped for a moment, allowing Luke to nod to his statement. "I was just like you when I was a boy. When I was young, I used to ride in Podraces-that is actually why I became a Jedi."

"How did small Podraces make you a Jedi?" Luke questioned with a smile. "You must have been one good racer. I never competed, but I've heard about them. They're awfully dangerous."

"They were horribly dangerous. I witnessed so many horrific deaths when I competed… but in the end, they saved me from my horrible life on Tatooine. I'm sure you agree with me-the heat…" Vader started, and Luke nodded in agreement. "Well, as I was saying. I became a Jedi because I was found by Master Qui Gon Jinn. It was sheer luck he had found me, working in this alien named Watto's store-me and your Grandmother were slaves you know."

"Really?" Questioned Luke. Vader nodded a slow nod, and Luke continued. "I didn't even know you lived in Tatooine; I did know you were an amazing Pilot. Old Ben Kenobi told me."

"I don't want to sound conceded or anything, but I sure was! I was able to win this one Podrace, and got the Jedi and the Queen of Naboo the parts they needed for their ship, so they could get back to Courscant. They brought me with them, and I was to become a Jedi. Qui Gon convinced all of them that I was truly the Chosen One, and that he would train me. Sadly, Qui Gon was later killed by Darth Maul, but then Maul was killed by Obi Wan. Obi Wan took me as his apprentice, and promised me that I would become a Jedi. I also met your mother on Tatooine-she was the Queen of Naboo, and no one was made aware of this until she revealed herself to the Gungans. Did you know she got two rivaling species to work together?" Asked Darth Vader. Luke shook his head, and his Father continued. "Well anyway, I fell for your mother at first sight. She was so beautiful-you have her eyes you know.

"Really?" Questioned Luke, as he brought his gloved hand to trace his eyes.

"Yes. As I was saying, after the Rebel Fleet's and I brought down the Separatists, and the Jedi brought down Darth Maul, the planet of Naboo was at peace. I didn't see your mother again for another ten years; I left for Jedi training, and she eventually joined the Senate. But, soon enough, we met again. I was assigned to be her bodyguard, because she was being hunted down by this assassin named Jango Fett. I actually hired his son, Boba, to find your sister and her friend, sorry about that."

" You can apologize for that later, continued please."

"As I was saying, your mother was being tracked down by a ruthless Bounty Hunter, who we eventually learned was hired by a once Jedi Knight named Count Dooku. Dooku was a Separatist Leader, and a Sith Lord-he would stop at nothing to find your mother. So, we decided it would be best to hide in Naboo, and that's where we began to fall in love."

"That sounds wonderful Father…" Luke started with a smile. He was immediately cut off by Vader.

"It wasn't for long-I began to get horrible nightmares, about my mother dying. Your mother, Padme and I, went to Tatooine, and discovered that my Mother had married your Uncle Owen's father, and that she was taken by some Tusken Raiders. You've had some experiences with them, haven't you?"

"Pretty bad ones…"

"As have I. They killed your Grandmother; and I was so angry, so filled with hate. I couldn't control myself-I killed the whole village, slaughtered each and every Tusken. To my surprise, your mother forgave me, and helped me through my fits of anger. I've blamed myself for your Grandmother's death for years. I told myself that if I were stronger…"

"That would be like me blaming myself for Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's deaths! It's not your fault she died Father."

"Only now… after everything I've put everyone I've loved through, do I realize this. As I was saying… once we were done in Tatooine, we were told that Obi Wan was taken hostage by Count Dooku on Geonosis, and Padme and I decided to save him. Instead, our rescue plan was basically destroyed-Dooku captured us, and all three of us were put to death."

"You all survived though?"

"Me and your Mother declared our love for each other in that Arena. She told me that she had loved me this whole time, although she refused to face this at the beginning. Now that she expected us to die, she admitted it, and luckily we didn't die. We were saved by Mace Windu and Yoda. Mace Windu killed Jango Fett, and saved all of us from that wretched arena. Obi Wan and I ended up taking on Count Dooku in a Hangar Bay, but we were immediately taken out. My hand was cut off, and Obi Wan was badly wounded. Yoda came to our rescue, followed by your mother and some clones. After my hand was replaced, me and your mother were secretly married on Naboo."

"Oh, so you do know how bad a cut off hand feels?" Luke asked, gritting his teeth angrily.\

"Yes, and I also know what it feels like to be electrocuted, and burnt by fire."

"What?"

"You'll hear about that later…" Vader stated. "Anyway, years passed, and me and your mother became separated more and more overtime. She was always working away in the Senate, and I was sent off to various missions around the Galaxy. One mission however, brought me back to her-me and Obi Wan had to save the Chancellor from Count Dooku, and another one of his apprentices, General Grievous. He was a cyborg, who was ruthless in his attack-you'll learn more about him later. First, we had to get onto their massive ship. It was a struggle, and Obi Wan nearly died at the hands of buzzdroids, but we managed to get onto the ship. Soon enough, we found ourselves to where the Chancellor-who we did not know was the Emperor yet-was kept, and we had to face Count Dooku. Obi Wan was taken now quickly, and it was only me to battle Dooku. I took him down, ruthlessly, and cut off his head. The Chancellor had insisted."

"What else, Father."

"We than were taken by Grievous in his Quarters, where we had a little showdown. The Cyborg was able to escape, and left us in a ruined ship. He went off to Utapau, but Obi Wan took care of him eventually. As I was saying, I managed to crash the destroyed ship back on Coruscant, and I was able to meet back with your Mother. She revealed to me that she was pregnant, with you and your sister. I was so excited and overjoyed, but the happiness did not stay. That night, I had a nightmare, just like the ones that I did about your Grandmother. But, this time, it was about Padme; I dreamt that she died in your births."

"Is that what happened?" Luke questioned. Vader took a few moments to respond.

"You-you will find out eventually. I will continue… I told Padme about the dreams, and she told me not to worry about them, and that she'd be fine. I thought differently, and vowed to her that I would protect her and stop her from dying. Chancellor Palpatine-the Emperor, had obviously known of my dreams, he granted me into the Jedi Council, and told me that their was a power to save my loved ones from dying. After Obi Wan was chosen over me to go to Utapau, Palpatine revealed to me that he was the Sith Lord we had been looking for, and that if I joined him we could save your mother."

"You shouldn't have…."

"I know that now my son. Once I discovered this, I immediately told Master Windu. He and a few other Jedi stormed into the Chancellor's office, and tried to arrest him. Everyone but Mace was taken down easily, and when I arrived in the office, Mace had Palpatine laying in the window, his face destroyed by his own force lightning. That was when I decided to save Palpatine, so I could save your mother. As Mace Windu took a final blow to kill Palpatine, I countered him, slicing his hand off. The Chancellor sent him flying out the window with Force lightning, and than I joined Palpatine in his mission. He granted me the name of Darth Vader, and sent me off to kill the Jedi remaining at the temple- Obi Wan, Yoda, and several other Jedi were not there however, and Palpatine executed an Order to kill the Jedi that were off the planet- Order 66. Yoda and Obi Wan lived, as Obi Wan was able to defeat Grievous and survived his Clone attack. Once all of this was through, he sent me to Mustafar, to take out the remaining Separatists."

"Father… I can't believe… why would you…"

"Love makes you do crazy things, my son. When I finished off the Separatists, your mother came to me on Mustafar. I told her everything, how I had planned to overthrow Palpatine so we could ruled together. She didn't want this, and was terrified about what I had become. Obi Wan moved out of her ship, and I thought she had betrayed me, bringing him to kill me. I made the worst decision of my life that day; I choked her, and flung her to the ground. My anger led to a fierce battle between me and Obi Wan, and in the end, he got the best of me. He cut off my legs when I jumped, and I landed in lava. Obi Wan left the scene, and helped your mother give birth to you and Leia; while Palpatine found me, and I went under surgery and gained my armor. When I officially became Darth Vader, I discovered that I had killed your Mother, and by than, I had nothing to live for. I thought you two had died with her, and I knew that now I had nothing; I decided just to go along with the Emperor.

"I'm so sorry Father… for everything you went through."

"Luke, help me take this mask off." Darth Vader whispered.  
"But you'll die!" Luke said, tears rolling out of his eyelids.  
"Nothing can stop that now. Just for once... let me look on you with my own eyes." Vader commanded. Luke moved his hands to his father's mask, and slowly removed it from his face. Beneath it laid a pale head, marked with various scars that Luke knew were from the lava on Mustafar. He stared into his Father's blue eyes, and saw him there. Anakin Skywalker, the blonde slave boy from Tatooine. And then he saw Anakin Skywalker, the young Padawan that had grown so much over the years. He than saw Anakin Skywalker, with yellow eyes, his brown mullet filled with sweat, and his face torn between good, and bad. "Now...go, my son. Leave me."  
"No. You're coming with me. I can't leave you here. I've got to save you."  
"You already have, Luke. You were right about me. Tell your sister...you were right."  
"Father...I won't leave you."

"You saved me Luke. I am so proud of you… you are the greatest Jedi I have ever seen. And your sister… she is just like your mother…" Darth Vader spoke his last words, before his body collapsed. Luke stared in disbelief, before burying his head in his Father's hard armor. He regained his composure, and dragged the lifeless body of his Father up the ramp of the ship. He had finally discovered who Anakin Skywalker was… and he was nothing as he had expected. Instead, of being a horrifically bad man, Anakin Skywalker was a man that was taken advantage of by an evil being, because he so desperately wanted to hold on to the one he loved. Luke laid his father on the floor of the shuttle, and entered the cockpit. He flew off to Endor, where he planned to rid his Father of the horrible armor once and for all. Darth Vader was not the man that Anakin Skywalker deserved to be remembered by-instead, he deserved to be called Anakin Skywalker, the Jedi that brought balance to the Force.


End file.
